Search Engine Optimization begins with a strategy and list of tactics that are then implemented to make your website rank higher within a search engine. A higher ranking means more people see your web site and this lays the foundation for more leads and sales.
You may have read blog posts claiming that SEO is dead. But when you look for something on the internet, where do you search? Google is the first place most people go to find something, and the organic search results in the top-5 get well over half of the clicks.
The landscape of SEO has undergone massive shifts over the last few years. Google’s “animal” (Penguin, Panda and Hummingbird) updates rendered many older SEO methods obsolete, and with good reason. These updates to Google’s search algorithm removed many sites that were created just to clog up the results with false web pages and spam marketing.
Search is continually evolving. The need for advisers and skilled professionals that can help companies create “findable” content and attract prospective customers to that information has never been greater. I believe that's a certainty that will outlive any SEO tactics, content marketing strategies, SEO experts and even the search engines themselves.
There's little that can be done to done to earn top search engine positioning if the content is "thin" and has little or no value to the reader. Sometimes the best place to start is with research and a rewrite.
SEO used to be a fairly technical discipline. Unfortunately, some SEO companies will still try to use old tired methods such as keyword stuffing, content duplication, HTML manipulation, and shady linking techniques. Some of these strategies are now actively penalized by Google and can de-list your website completely from Google’s search engine.
Google is becoming a lot smarter in evaluating page content, but there's still a need to carefully fine-tune each page and post so that the targeted keywords are presented in a natural way.
Search engines also evaluate your site as a whole, to determine the predominant theme. Site optimization is an ongoing process in which content balance is monitored, with course corrections as required. Search engines also evaluate how your content is shared online, and compare that with what your site claims to be about.
Audience optimization focuses on the editorial value of each content piece. Your audience drives the success of your website and your business. I personally evaluate and monitor all of the content we create, and how it relates to your audience persona(s), particularly where the site owners are involved in content development. It's easy for content to take a rabbit trail away from the themes outlined in the content strategy.
Today, SEO is largely a content play. Regularly publishing high value content on your website — both easy to find and cross-referenced — your inbound links and search engine rankings will develop in a very natural way. Content should be interesting to readers, not search engines. I usually also distribute your content through social channels.
I avoid black-hat and even older white-hat tactics that no longer are effective. Instead, I focus on giving Google and Bing what they have always wanted: quality, consistent content creation combined with earned links based upon authority and value.
I also engage in Panda/Penguin friendly “outreach” link building to target shorter tail keywords. Top-5 rankings for short-tail keywords are almost impossible to earn with content alone.
I can help you develop an SEO and content marketing strategy to improve your site's traffic and bottom line.